Edmonton Oiler Gilbert Brule and his girlfriend picked up an unusual hitchhiker in West Vancouver on Tuesday - U2 frontman Bono.

Brule and girlfriend Kelsey Nichols were driving to a park to walk Bella, their German shepherd, on Tuesday afternoon near the West Vancouver Yacht club when they spotted a couple of hitchhikers on the side of the road.

Brule, watching out the window, was sure one of them was Bono.

Nichols, who was driving, didn't believe him, because, really, why would Bono be hitchhiking in West Van?

"I didn't want to stop, but they waved and G yelled ‘that's Bono'," Nichols said Wednesday night at Commonwealth Stadium. "I didn't believe him so I kept driving."

Whatever Canada's Extra counterpart is will probably note that this story is too crazy to be true. But really it's just too Canadian to be true. Picking up a hitchhiker? The irrepressible enthusiasm? Brule's hat and hair? Bringing his mom to the concert, too?

Oh, and:

"I like ice hockey because people who play ice hockey are the kind of people who pick up hitchhikers," Bono told the crowd. "I'm ever so grateful. I've decided that I want to be Gilbert Brule."